In a data center, in order to automatically manage a server or node apparatus that is an apparatus to be operated, there is a technique for executing an operational process by a process execution server. The operational process is defined by a flow of activities for operating a system to be operated. The designer of the operational process uses components that are programs for performing an operational processing to generate an operational process by setting a flow of the activities.
In case where a system to be operated is managed by executing each of plural operational processes, for which a flow of activities is individually defined as described above, when a common apparatus to be operated is operated by plural operational processes, there is a case where results cannot be obtained as assumed.
An example is illustrated in FIG. 1 where an interrupt occurs among the operational processes. An upper operational process includes a flow of activities 101 to 105 so as to boot up a server, activate a service X in the server and further activate a service Y in the server. On the other hand, a lower operational process includes a flow of activities 107 and 109 so as to change a network setting in the same server and reboot the server.
When operations for the same server are executed in parallel by different operational processes, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an operation by one operational process may interrupt an operation by the other operational process. The upper operational process activates the service Y on the premise that the service X is operating. However, when the operation of the activity 109 for rebooting the server in the lower operational process is executed between the operation of the activity 103 for activating the service X and the operation of the activity 105 for activating the service Y, the service Y is activated in a state where the service X is not operating. Accordingly, the service Y does not normally operate.
Moreover, in addition to the aforementioned interaction among plural operational processes, there is also a problem concerning the human judgment at the operation. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an operational process including an authorization. This operational process includes definition of a flow including activities 201 to 205 so that an authorization request is issued to a manager, and when the response to the request represents grant, the setting of the network in the server is changed, then the server is rebooted. On the other hand, when the response represents denial, the process is suspended. By setting the operational process so as to obtain the judgment by the manager at any time, the operation is appropriately carried out according to the status.
However, when the human judgment is frequently requested in the operation, the effectiveness of the automatic operation is lowered. Therefore, as for the setting of the activity 201 relating to the authorization request, both of the safety and effectiveness are considered. Presumptively, in the example of FIG. 2, when the setting change 203 of the network and the reboot 205 of the server impair the safety, it is presumed that the authorization request is omitted. Thus, the execution of the operational process to operate the computer is difficult.